If you’re looking for a fun new meal, my Chicken Gyros recipe is exactly what you need! I marinate the chicken perfectly, then stuff it inside pitas with all the Greek fixings.
They’re fantastic for entertaining, yet simple enough for weeknight dinners. My whole family adores loading up their own gyros with their favorite toppings and digging in.
These chicken gyros are incredibly flavorful and succulent, and the secret lies in the marinade – I’ll share the recipe with you!
I just love Greek food in all its forms. From simple Souvlaki to the elaborate and iconic Moussaka, those flavors are all just too good.
Now everyone loves a good gyro. They’re fun and delicious handheld treats, kind of like tacos.
Traditionally, gyros are made by slicing from a cone of stacked meat that’s cooked on a vertical rotisserie. If you’re like us, you don’t have one of these gadgets in your kitchen.
With our easy recipe, you can still enjoy a mighty tasty pita wrap without any fuss!
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – You can use breast in their place, but I prefer the tenderness and juiciness of thighs.
- Yogurt – Adds creaminess to the marinade and helps tenderize the chicken.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon juice – Gives a great tang.
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic – Gotta have it.
- Herbs and spices – Dried oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander powder, salt, pepper and red chili flakes.
- To serve – Pita bread, tzatziki, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion and feta cheese.
Easy Chicken Gyros Recipe
1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, I combine yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, herbs, and spices. Then, I add the chicken and toss it well to coat.
I like to marinate it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Personally, I like to start in the morning and let it marinate all day
2. Cook the chicken: I remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Then, I heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Once the skillet is hot, I place the chicken thighs in the skillet and cook them undisturbed for 6-7 minutes per side, or until they are cooked through and lightly browned. After cooking, I transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting it into strips.
3. Assemble gyros: To prepare the pitas, I briefly warm them on both sides on a hot skillet or in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Then, in each individual pita, I add a generous dollop of tzatziki sauce, followed by loading it up with the chicken strips, fresh veggies, and crumbled feta cheese. Enjoy!
Alpana’s Tips
- Chicken Selection – While I recommend thighs due to their juiciness, you can also use chicken breasts. Just be mindful not to overcook them, or they might turn out dry.
- Marination Time – The longer the marination, the better! If possible, I highly recommend letting your chicken marinate all day, or even overnight. This allows the flavors to deeply penetrate the chicken, resulting in incredibly flavorful gyros that everyone will love.
- Skillet Choice – I prefer using a cast iron skillet for that perfect sear on my chicken. If you don’t have one, a non-stick skillet works as well.
- Tzatziki – While you can certainly use store bought tzatziki, I recommend making it from scratch. Try my easy Tzatziki Recipe.
- Warm Pitas – Don’t skip warming the pitas. This makes them soft and pliable, enhancing the overall gyro experience.
Variations
You can easily play around and make these Greek chicken gyros your own. Here are some ideas:
- Grill the chicken: If that barbecue grill is beckoning, you can certainly grill the chicken. Preheat to 425-450°F, then cook 8-10 minutes per side.
- Swap the protein: I sometimes use the same recipe with beef, lamb or shrimp. Note that shrimp should not be marinated for more than 30 minutes.
- Dairy free: If dairy doesn’t agree with you, use our Greek Chicken Marinade, which does not use yogurt. Swap the tzatziki with Hummus, Melizanosalata or Baba Ganoush.
- Make it spicy: Add a spoonful of Harissa Paste into the marinade to give it some kick. You could also use Tyrokafteri in place of the tzatziki, it’s a spicy feta cheese dip.
- Use other veggies: While this recipe uses traditional gyro fillings, other veggies can easily go here. Some of my top picks are roasted red peppers, roasted eggplant or Grilled Zucchini.
- Skip the pita: You can use the chicken in a variety of ways. Make a bowl meal by topping rice or other grains with the chicken and other toppings. Watching carbs? Try chicken gyro lettuce wraps.
The beauty of gyros lies in their versatility. Experiment, customize, and most importantly, savor every bite!
Suggested Sides
Chicken gyros are a well rounded meal all by themselves. That being said, something on the side is nice, especially if entertaining.
The obvious choice is a Greek Salad. It shares many of the same ingredients, but still goes so well there.
Other salad options include Tabbouleh, Spanish Pipirrana, or Balela Salad.
You can make a great three course Mediterranean feast by starting with Falafel, following that with Avgolemono Soup, then presenting your gyro platter.
Whip up these easy chicken gyros this week, and savor the flavor of tender chicken, crisp veggies, and creamy tzatziki sauce.
Ready in just 30 minutes, my gyro dish is sure to become a weekday favorite!
Chicken Gyros, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great Greek recipes!
Shrimp Saganaki
Lamb Kleftiko
Fasolada Soup
Keftedes (Greek Meatballs)
Steak Gyros
Psari Plaki
Soutzoukakia
Chicken Gyros
My easy Chicken Gyros are a fun handheld meal packed with great flavors. Good enough for company, but easy enough for weeknights!
Ingredients
Marination
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 garlic coves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
Gyros
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 pita breads
- tzatziki
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- cucumber, diced
- kalamata olives
- red onion, sliced
- feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander powder, salt, black pepper, red chili flakes until well mixed. Add in chicken and toss until well coated. Cover with cling wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours, or better yet begin marination in the morning and cook in the evening. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place chicken thighs and cook undisturbed 6-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and lightly browned.
- Transfer chicken to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken into strips.
- Warm the pitas briefly on both sides on a hot skillet, or in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Assemble the gyros: In individual pitas, add a generous dollop of tzatziki, then load it up with chicken, veggies and feta. Enjoy!
Notes
- Leftovers: The cooked chicken can be refrigerated for 4-5 days in an airtight container, making it a great meal prep option. Simply reheat in the microwave, or in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat.
- Leftovers can also be frozen for 2-3 months. I recommend individually wrapping the thighs in cling wrap, then freezing the wrapped thighs together in a freezer safe zip top bag.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 436Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 144mgSodium 1364mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 35g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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